Game Drive Safaris in Murchison Falls National Park

Game Drive Safaris in Murchison Falls National Park : Murchison Falls national park is traditionally known as Kabalega national park. This national park is located in the Albertine rift valley and was named after a geologist Sir Roderick Murchison. Murchison falls national park is situated on the shores of lake Albert. It was gazetted in 1952 and is located in the  Northwestern part of Uganda. Murchison falls national park is famous for having  the most powerful waterfall in the whole world. Murchison falls national park is not only the oldest but also the largest national park situated on 3893 square kilometers.

 Murchison falls is a shelter to over 451 bird species, about 76 mammal species, 449 tree species and 29 reptile species not leaving out the 49 species of Amphibians. Murchison falls national park is under the management of Uganda wildlife Authority. Murchison falls national park is dominated by acacia trees, riverine woodland, bush and forest, savannah and borassus palms. Murchison falls national park stretches to 4 districts of Uganda which are Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo and Masindi. The Northern section and the Southern section of Murchison falls national park are split by the Nile River. Murchison falls national park has  6 entrance routes that is to say it has 6 gates that are used by visitors to access it.

Murchison falls national has various attractions that prompt visitors to come visit it from their different locations of residence and some of these attractions in Murchison falls national park  include: Murchison falls which are also referred to as Kabalega falls. They are the most powerful waterfalls in the whole world, birds which are about 451 bird species making it a good birding spot, animals which make a total of over 76 mammal species. It is a home to 4 of the big 5 which include hippos, elephants, buffaloes,  leopards, Karuma falls which are found on Victoria Nile in the northwestern part of Uganda.  Karuma falls are surrounded with various mammals and birds that visitors can view, Budongo forest which is a good spot for birding and chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. Visitors visit this forest to carry out these activities. It harbors a big number of chimpanzees, Kaniyo pabidi forest which is situated in the northeastern part of budongo forest reserve. Bird watching is one of the activities carried out in this forest, it harbors over 360 bird species making it a good location for birding, primates which include the chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus and many more. These primates are mainly found in the kaniyo pabidi forest, Paraa where most of the activities in Murchison falls national park are done in the Paraa region, River Nile which is the longest river in the world and it crosses murchison falls national park. It is also a tourist attraction in Murchison falls national park, buligi game area which covers an area of approximately 160 kilometers and it lies between Albert Nile and Victoria Nile.

Murchison falls national park has a lot of activities that it offers to its visitors and some of them include cultural visits, Murchison falls national park boat cruise, nature walks, bird watching, chimpanzee tracking, Albert Delta launch cruise, bottom of the falls boat cruise and many more. Game drives are one of the major and irresistible activities that a visitor cant miss to participate in. These game drives grant the visitors an opportunity to see a variety of wildlife species and beautiful scenery. Visitors can make stop over during their game drives to have closer looks at the wildlife that they spot during their game drives plus the beautiful landscapes. There are various animals that can be seen during the game drives which include hyenas, warthogs, waterbucks, giraffes, oribis, leopards, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, lions, elephants, hartebeests and many more. The above animals can be seen to the fullest in the morning and in the evening when they are retiring to their spots of rest.

In Murchison falls national park, game drives are done through out the year though the best time to carry out this activity is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February. In this season the trails are less slippery which enables tourists to use these trails with comfort. Game drives take about 5 hours and are carried out in the early morning hours or in the evening. A number of wildlife can be spotted while on game drive. Popular place in the park where the game drives are done include the southern and northern sectors of the park along the buligi track, Victoria track and Albert track.

Game drives are one of the activities done in Murchison falls national park that give visitors unforgettable experiences because they expose visitors to almost all the best views in the park. They are done in the morning and the evening with trained guides and thoroughly briefing. This activity is done all the year though it is advisable to do in it in the dry season for a better and comfortable experience. The game drives take approximately 5 hours. The park fees for these game drives depend on the time one wishes to carry out the game drive. For the night game drive, foreign non residents pay 30US dollars, foreign residents pay 20US dollars while the East African citizens pay 50,000 Ugandan shillings. When these tourists are using an UWA vehicle, they pay 40US dollars for foreign non residents, 35US dollars for foreign residents and 40,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens.

Tourists who opt for the day game drive pay different amounts from those who go for night game drives. During day, foreign non residents pay 20 US dollars, foreign residents pay 15 US dollars and the East African citizens pay 20,000 Ugandan shillings. If they prefer using an UWA vehicle, the prices increase and the foreign non residents are charged 30 US dollars, foreign residents are charged 25 US dollars and the East African citizens are charged 30,000 Ugandan shillings.